Mary L. Curtis Papers

An Inventory of the Collection

Mary L. Curtis is an Austin, Texas artist that specializes in pen and ink illustrations and watercolors of Austin's historic past, as well as pastels and watercolors of Texas wildflowers. The collection contains artwork, project notebooks, newspaper clippings and a scrapbook that document her career as an artist.

Mary Curtis is a Texas native that moved to Austin, Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin. She met her husband Bob at UT and together they had one child. After years as a stay-at-home mom and secretary Mary L. Curtis returned to college at age 50 and graduated from St. Edward's University's New College having discovered that she had a talent for drawing and painting. She began a second career as an artist and art teacher and became well-known in Texas for her work that depicts Austin's historic past and as well botanical drawings and watercolors. She was sanctioned as the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial Artist. Curtis also sees her art as way to help deserving organizations and has donated her time and talent to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center and the Austin History Center to name a few.

The collection highlights Mary's career as an artist starting in the 1980s. Included are prints and photocopies of some of her work, some of which are oversized. Her 1998 portfolio submission to the Texas State Artist Committee provides a good overview of her work and includes slides of her art. Also contained in the collection are proofs of Dawn Breaks with Silent Echoes that are illustrated by Curtis. Curtis was well known for her charity work and all the project records documenting her work with the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center are included. A scrapbook and newspaper clippings provide insight into her accomplishments as an artist through the years. The scrapbook contains photographs, event flyers, examples of her work, biographical information and correspondence.